Five Resume Tips and How to Land an Interview!

Did you know?

Recruiters spend only a few seconds looking at a resume before they decide to continue reading carefully or simply skip that applicant. In today’s fast-paced business environment, people in charge of hiring are constantly receiving hundreds and thousands of resumes, and they need some sort of quick filtering.

Ideally, you would like to meet potential employers in an interview, where you can see people in person and convince them you are a worthy candidate. However, that is not likely to happen if your resume does not convince the person reading it.

When there is not a person screening CVs with 20-second checks, what is known as ATS comes to the scene.

An ATS, short for Applicant Tracking System, is a software that filters resumes based on certain pre-given conditions. And yes, you guessed it, again it is the recruiter who prepares the setup.

To make your life easier, we at Someka Excel Solutions have prepared 5 resume tips that will increase your chances of getting an interview dramatically.

1. Keep your resume between 1 and 2 pages long

Believe us, recruiters will decide very fast if you get shortlisted or not. Remember, the goal of a resume is to land you an interview, not the actual job.

Yes, that is true even when these are not listed in the job posting. The first reason why you should do this is that the recruiter will find it a very professional thing to do. The second reason is that if they like your resume, they will read your letter next, and they will be convinced to invite you for an interview if the letter is also up to the standard.

3. Tailor your resume and cover letter according to the duties and requirements in the job ad

Do you want to apply for a data analyst position? You better write some related skills and experiences with matching keywords. The recruiter will not care much if you also worked as a legal assistant right after graduation.

4. Pay special attention to proofreading

Recruiters and Hiring Managers may disqualify you for grammatical mistakes. Make sure you review your resume and cover letter for such mistakes before sending it.

5. Looks matter!

Recruiters can often times screen resumes based on how different or unique they look. Of course, the more experienced ones will read details, but a nice design grabs attention. Our template designs address this issue specifically and let you focus on the contents rather than on the appearance of your resume.

Of course, these 5 resume tips are not the only things you should consider. The type of job you are applying for is also important, as that will completely change your approach.

You want to apply for a job at a small store in your neighborhood? You better print out a traditional resume and go meet the person in charge. You want to apply for an associate role in a mid-sized company? You better use a visually appealing resume and attach a letter to it. You are good at acting, but haven’t made it big yet? You better use an artistic resume to showcase your creativity and land an audition. You are at the peak of your career looking to switch jobs? You better use an executive resume. You want to make your past results count? Highlight achievements.

You may often want to tweak your resume design and content, and that is why we have prepared 5 different templates that will surely cover your needs. Check out our ready-to-use Resume Template.